Dicky might have helped us out, but Dicky was following his usual custom of having rooms in one hotel and covering as many others as possible with his meals, in the hope of an accidental meeting.

This was excellent as a distraction for his mind, but since it occasionally led him into three _dejeuners_ and two dinners, rather bad, we feared, for other parts of him.

He had confided his design to me; he intended, on meeting Isabel's eye, to turn very pale, abruptly terminate his repast, ask for his hat and stick, and walk out with conspicuous agitation.

As to the course he meant to pursue afterwards he was vague; the great thing was to make an impression upon Isabel.

We differed about the nature of the impression.